The eating disorder nobody wants to talk about

My obesity is the first thing people notice about me and it's the first thing many judge me on. I can't think of anything else in the world that I would like more than to be free from this disorder, writes Sam Ikin.

Eating disorders have been well and truly in the spotlight thanks to the Butterfly Foundation and its Body Image and Eating Disorder Awareness week. But something has been missing from all the coverage.

There have been numerous mentions of anorexia and bulimia and quite rightly so; they are debilitating illnesses and are not well understood in the wider community. But the disorder that the foundation describes as "the most common of all eating disorders" has barely rated a mention.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is not associated with skinny teenagers; one in four sufferers are men starting from their early 20s well into their adult life. Butterfly Foundation CEO Christine Morgan describes BED as "the very distressing disassociated binging, completely out of control, that goes with bulimia nervosa but without the subsequent purging behaviours". As such it's almost always associated with obesity.

I dream of buying a suit off the rack or flying economy class without being terrified of how fellow passengers will react if I sit next to them.

"With the levels of stigma that we have in our society people would say 'No, that's not a psychiatric illness, it's just you doing some comfort eating'," Morgan says. "In fact if you've sat alongside anybody who does it, you'd know it's the furthest thing in the world from comfort eating. They do not get any comfort from what they do whatsoever."

Fat haters love saying, "You know, eating that much food will make you fat, but you do it anyway. Why don't you just stop?" I guess that's true. I guess it's also true that alcoholics know they drink too much and gambling addicts know they're probably going to lose money.

At this point, as a journalist, I usually bring in a case study. But finding someone with BED who is prepared to talk about their experience has proved difficult. The foundation's website says BED "can result in intense feelings of guilt, depression and shame". In my experience this is always the case, so I have decided not to ask another sufferer to act as a case study; instead I will share my own experience.

I was diagnosed with BED in 2012 but I have had it for decades. As a man in my 30s, an eating disorder was the last thing I thought I would have. Morgan says BED is often hidden after repeated misdiagnoses.

"The 'cure' for obesity is to go on a diet and for someone with an eating disorder that's like throwing kerosene on a fire," Morgan says. To simply blame obese people with this condition for their poor lifestyle choice is cruel and unhelpful.

I can't count the number of times since childhood that I have been advised to go on a diet. I am incredibly good at diets. I can stick to the strictest of diets for months on end but the one common factor in diets is that they end and when they do my disorder kicks back in.

BED is something that I have worked hard to beat but so far I have been unsuccessful. I had lap band surgery in 2009, but while the band stopped me from enjoying my wife's stir-fried prawns yesterday, it has no effect on most binge foods. I have been to rehab and I have relapsed. It wasn't a special fat people rehab. It was the same place alcoholics, drug addicts and gambling addicts go.

I can't think of anything else in the world that I would like more than to be free from this disorder. I dream of buying a suit off the rack or flying economy class without being terrified of how fellow passengers will react if I sit next to them. I would like to be able to look at my television work and see something other than how fat I am. My obesity is the first thing people notice about me and it's the first thing many judge me on.

I am committed to beating this disease and being a better example for my two little boys but it has taken me years to get to this point; the point of accepting that I have an eating disorder.

Morgan said the statistics show an increase in rates of BED among men:

Where males will make up approximately 10 per cent of those presenting with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa it's up to around about 25 per cent in binge eating disorder.

There would be an even larger percentage of people who would not be coming forward for help. They would think, "Oh I just can't control my eating", and they don't realise that an eating disorder is a psychiatric disorder.

Obesity is said to be costing millions upon millions of dollars every year yet most Australians have never heard of Binge Eating Disorder.

Maybe it's time to stop watching television shows encouraging more extreme dieting and personal training regimes or reading books about excluding sugar, including coconut oil or whatever next month's miracle food fad will be and start focussing on the causes behind Australia's growing obesity epidemic. People who have binge eating disorder already understand "calories in vs calories out", in fact possibly better than most Australians.

As uncomfortable as I am with it I'm prepared to put myself out there in the hope that others might reach out for help and not keep punishing themselves. If you think you have an eating disorder get in contact with your GP or call the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 ED HOPE.

Sam Ikin is a Digital Producer for ABC News Online. View his full profile here.

Comments (132)

Lisa:

04 Sep 2014 11:53:15am

Sam, completely understand where you're coming from. At the age of 21 as an overweight person I went on a diet and lost 18 kgs in 9 months. I couldn't sustain it though and started to binge out of control. I put on 25 kgs in 6 months from crazy eating. It was a terrifying thing and I was frightened on some days that my stomach would burst from all the food. I finished up suicidal and on anti depressants. I then tried losing weight again in 2002. Same thing happened. I now refuse to go on any type of diet out of fear of the repercussions and try to just maintain what I am. Problem is the older I get the harder it is to keep weight off. I know being overweight is bad for my health but cannot see a way to lose weight properly. I'm between a rock and a hard place. I've also learned not to discuss weight with anyone because the "diet Nazis" come out with their insensitive comments. It is an area that is greatly misunderstood and I long for the day when people stop condemning those who struggle with their weight.

me too:

04 Sep 2014 7:12:06pm

I gave up smoking and put on weight..decided to go on a very strict diet program and lost quite a lot of weight. Then I stopped dieting and just could not stop eating. Now I have a fear of dieting because of the sense of deprivation. I just want to lose weight and go swimming at the beach..It's my greatest desire.

GRF:

04 Sep 2014 8:12:24pm

Lisa, what you describe is a common result of non-permanent 'diets'. To control body weight long-term requires permanent changes in eating behaviour. The body likes regularity and can adapt and become comfortable with a different pattern of eating if you give it enough time.

Any 'diet' you select should include all the foods you like to eat; after all, it has to be sustainable for the rest of your life. And you need to be prepared to spend as much time taking the weight off as you did putting it on. And this may mean decades. There is some evidence that the body has a 'fat meter' and tries to maintain body weight at the status quo. Slowly losing weight allows your 'fat meter' to adjust and helps prevent the weight-gain 'bounce' you describe.

The simplest and easiest adaption is to cut-down how often you eat. Homo Sapiens are perfectly adapted to eat only once every two days. But you don't need to do that. Just cut out all snacks and have say, for example, just two meals a day. If you cope with that, cut it down to one meal a day. The key thing is permanence and sustainability. Experiment.

Mia:

05 Sep 2014 7:22:41am

A perfect example of what Sam is talking about - you read but but missed the point and had to give a lecture...this is the first time I have ever commented online in response to a story but this made me so mad! Well done Sam and thankyou for your bravery in standing up for you and all the other me's...

cuteyoungchic:

04 Sep 2014 9:54:42pm

Hi Sam,When you have time, jump on your computer, and Google food cravings.You'll find all the answers for why we hang out for the foods that we do.Instead you'll find which vitamins & minerals your body is short of, and that are causing you to be attracted to particular foods, that you wish you weren't.Then get yourself off to the health food shop & explain which nutrients your body is lacking. Within days, maybe a week or so, you'll find you don't want those foods any longer.Trust me, it works. And it's the ONLY way.You'll be amazed at yourself. Big hug for you Sam :)

SimBoy3:

05 Sep 2014 3:16:05pm

Dear 'cuteyoungchic',Whilst your comments are well meaning and obviously intended to offer support, they don't take into account that an eating disorder, be it Binge Eating, Anorexia or Bulimia, are complex mental health issues that won't go away by working out vitamin or mineral deficiencies. If you have a moment, check out the Butterfly Foundation website, or some of the many wonderful books out there about eating disorders. I would highly recommend 'Eating in the Light of the Moon' by Anita Johnston. Just as Sam says, diets do not work because eating disorders are both 'not about the food, but all about food.'

Lisa:

05 Sep 2014 6:49:13am

Thanks GRF I know what you r saying but the diets I went on were not the fad diets that are short term. They were the long term, life changing type that included foods I liked. But in order for anyone to lose weight you obviously have to make changes to calorie/fat intake and portion size. You have to cut down on things. And the diets I were on were not the overly extreme type. My second weightloss actually took me a year to lose 18 kgs. Thats not extreme weightloss. The problem was the sense of depravity even though I ate the nice foods occasionally. The constant obsession with food that comes where you are always anticipating your next meal and thinking about what you will eat for the next week. Its the depressing feeling that you're whole life will be about restraining the overwhelming desire to eat the wrong things. Like any addict you can't just let yourself go as you'd like to. Ialways had the feeling that inside me was an elastic band being pulled tighter and tighter until it snapped and let go. Thats when the bingeing starts. Hope this explains it.

Liz:

05 Sep 2014 11:54:24am

Hi Lisa,I can completely empathise with the whole "food obsession" when trying to diet.I have lost a good chunk of weight through diet, then had an 8 month lapse and put a third of the lost weight back on. I'm in the process of taking it off yet again.But you are so right! Everything becomes an obsession on how many calories or how much you've eaten in a day.I always have one day a week as a diet free day. I can eat what I want. Its the only way I have been able to not completely go back to the weight I was.But I am so over having to be OCD about everything I put in my mouth and when. And the extreme guilt and shame felt if we "fall off the wagon".But the simple thing driving me is to not be the size I was. Thats the one and only thing that keeps me at it. Im terrified of ending up in size 26 clothes again. Im now in size 18, I had got down to size 16.There's no easy answer or cure. We just have to ride it which ever way we can when we are ready.For me I keep plugging away at it. I know nothing is going to change unless I do it. I just try to make good ground on it all when my head is right so that any slip ups arent so catastrophic.

Lisa:

05 Sep 2014 1:25:48pm

Liz, yep I hear what you are saying. A lot of people say that the one day off a week plan is really helpful for maintaining a long term weight loss. Best of luck to you as you continue to fight the good fight.

Darren:

04 Sep 2014 11:53:59am

Bravo Sam for speaking up. I've watched your pieces on SBS World News Australia in the past and while yes your proportions were evident it never stopped me from noticing your excellent standard of work.

NgWallco:

04 Sep 2014 11:54:30am

"I guess it's also true that alcoholics know they drink too much and gambling addicts know they're probably going to lose money."This is an excellent comparison that I think has helped to readjust my perspective on BED for the better, thank you.

Turtle:

04 Sep 2014 11:57:07am

As someone who has a battle with self-control and appetite myself, I empathise with you. However, a first step towards leading a healthier life is to acknowledge the problem for what it is. Medicalising it by saying it s 'diagnosed' is not helpful. I am not downplaying the seriousness, but just suggesting that trying to make the problem an illness is not helpful in the long run.

leafygreens:

04 Sep 2014 12:55:16pm

So medicalising and diagnosing a problem with your body's control mechanisms doesn't help it get treated? Cancer is when cells grow uncontrollably. Perhaps cancer is not an illness but just a matter of 'control'...

Sound trivialising and offensive?

Sam has clarity about what is going on, and has taken many steps past that 'first step towards leading a healthier life', but the solution to his 'problem' has eluded him so far.

Jamie:

Nothing will work if you start with an attitude it's all just too difficult and as Turtle says turning it into a medical condition can just become an excuse.

The first step is to understand how sugar works on the brain. From the authors comment he doesn't.

I binge too, for me what works is to have lots of food in the house that is high in fibre and low in sugar particularly low in or no HFCS. This means no processed food. To beat this you need to start thinking about it when you shop. buy plenty of stuff that you know doesn't stimulate your eating have plenty of that sort of food available.

There is a type of biscuit I love there must be something in these biscuits that is addictive, if I open a pack I can't stop until I have finished the pack so I don't buy them.

If I binge I eat as much as I like but it is high fibre even hi protein but low sugar and if it made into soup it is even better, but it has to be there ready to eat.

Blended soup is good because your stomach retains the water while it is digesting the food with it. Hence you will feel full longer, if you drink a glass of water with a normal meal the stomach will instantly release the water and then proceed to digest the solid food so you wont feel full for as long.

AP:

04 Sep 2014 1:42:18pm

Jamie, you haven't really understood the article. When someone has an eating disorder, its not a matter of finding the right eating plan or having more self control etc. As the article said, going on diets for these people often exacerbates the problem. Its like telling an anorexic to go out and have a good dinner. The problem is medical and deeper than a bad diet. We do people a great disservice when we fail to be sensitive to that.

AP :

04 Sep 2014 4:51:16pm

Jake an eating disorder is like any other disorder. Its rarely just about food. Chronic overeating is the symptom of a problem stemming from deeper psychological or medical issues. If you don't treat the cause of the problem, then giving people a particular diet or eating plan is doomed to failure. If a person has a chemical balance in their body for instance, or unresolved childhood trauma that is causing them to overeat as an anaesthetic, then diets will be useless. Deal with the root of the problem and then you can then deal with the symptoms.

Candi:

05 Sep 2014 2:14:44am

AP. Humans have always suffered psychological traumas but only recently have we developed a massive number of people with eating disorders. So what has changed? What we eat. If you want the answer look at what we eat.

Jake:

05 Sep 2014 1:56:31am

Double U no that is not what I am saying. First we don't need drugs but we do need food. The reason people become addicted to drugs is because drugs are adictive. If you are addicted to some types of food don't eat it. That is an eating plan.

AP I have not once mentioned "a diet" of the fad type I am talking about diet "the kinds of foods a person habitually eats". If a person is suffering from a chemical imbalance it is most likely from what they are putting in their stomach.

AP:

05 Sep 2014 8:45:11am

Jake and Candi, you just aren't listening are you. Its not about the food folks. Its about deeper issues here.

Jake - I am not referring to fad diets. Even the healthy long term eating plans rarely work for a person with an eating disorder because there are other factors at work sabotaging a person's efforts. Just look at the statistics. I know this because I have been there and done it. The healthy eating plans aren't working either for people as a long term solution. And when people fail, it usually leaves depression, self loathing and a sense of despair in a person's life. They end up worse than when they started. You must deal with the real issues in order to affect a long term cure.

Candi, yes people have been suffering trauma for ever and have always resorted to adopting whatever coping mechanism they can. Alcoholism, gambling, drugs, sex are not new things. Food has joined that group because nowadays its cheap and readily available. It makes a good 'drug of choice'. But in the end if you don't deal with the trauma behind it, you aren't going to break the destructive pattern. It will be like putting a band aid on cancer.

whogoesthere:

04 Sep 2014 1:57:41pm

I was never a big sweet tooth, but have cut out sugar, especially processed white sugar as much as possible. We don't miss it at all. I make my own wholemal bread in a bread-maker, which is chaep and easy, no sugar and you wouldn't even know. About once a week I make a slice as a bit of a treat, but use coconut and/or sultanas as a sweetener and it's lovely.

Back to soup though, I am a convert !. I wanted a healthy and easy lunch option. I started making home made veggie soups. Again, it's cheap and easy. you can make a big batch that will last a few days. We have a big bowl with a wholemeal roll for lunch most days, it tastes great !. It keeps him filled up till tea time, something which I wouldn't have believed.

Hellen Wheels:

05 Sep 2014 12:54:40pm

Here's a small suggestion. I'm lucky to have a body that doesn't put on weight easily. However, somone recently lent me a book called Sweet Poison, about the addictive nature of fructose sugar. I'm now trying to substitute normal sugar with xylitol or glucose. You can use them in coffee, on fruit, in cooking etc. You get the sweet hit without the addiction hook.

Fat abuse (and a bit of age abuse) is completely acceptable these days. It sickens me, the TV is full of ghoulish "look at the fatty" shows. I've always preferred someone with a bit of soft body to the scrawny rakes we are forced to watch in the media.

Good on you Sam, and thanks. I came from a family of big people, my brother "the fat kid" was always fair game for anything, my mother would never wear even vaguely attractive clothes on the rare occasions she want out - if she was fat, of course she was ugly, or so prevailing opinion says.

The smug scrawnies, aggressive fitness lunatics (influenced I suspect by the multimillion dollar diet/fitness industry) are still susceptible to most of the diseases that knock people off early - cancer, heart attacks, dementia. How dull to spend a lifetime in a gym or worrying about every gram you eat. A bit of roly poly is fine. Gross obesity is what is not fine, and let's face it, there's a long way between a couple of stone overweight and grossly obese.

APM:

04 Sep 2014 1:40:21pm

In articles about people who have lost large amounts of weight most talk about being motivated partly by negative comments about their weight, and admit that they were weak, gluttonous slobs that needed a reality check. Doesn't this mean that challenging people on their obesity works, and is even necessary? I don't agree with the victim mentality that unwanted challenges equate to bullying.

Jimmy Necktie:

Flann:

04 Sep 2014 12:03:35pm

Sam thanks for being brave enough to put yourself forward to help the discussion about Binge Eating Disorder. I imagine you will cope some flack. It's all very easy for people without eating problems/disorders to offer facile solutions. How much more constructive to allow people to express their concerns and discomfort about food. Because it is certain that in this society, we don't like to talk about how problematic all things associated with food are.

I do not have an eating disorder, but I do have many difficulties with food. My extreme example is a certain severe allergy. When I decline to eat food that I know has not been prepared to eliminate cross contamination, the hostility is extraordinary. I am rude, ignorant, ungrateful, self-centred and foolish. My protestations that the food could kill me are usually met with sarcasm. Food is a vexed issue.

How much worse then, when the eater does not have recourse to a claim of immediate harm. BED causes long, slow but no less real harm. The disrespect of the community causes more harm. Obesity, whatever its cause, ought to be a trigger for compassion and care, not for blame. It is hardly a lifestyle choice. I don't want to be fat, do you?

AE:

04 Sep 2014 12:06:31pm

I feel bad for the author, however I can't help but notice that there is no mention of exercise in the article. No mention of how it must go hand-in-hand with diet, or the author's attempts, if any, at using exercise to slim down, or just maintain weight to avoid getting bigger still.I hope he can work something out to solve the problem.

AE:

Colmery:

04 Sep 2014 12:55:24pm

It's also the case that our bodies are remarkably efficient at converting fat into energy so a lot of exercise burns off a miniscule amount of fat.

Treating the compulsion to eat is the right focus and my answer to that is two days a week on less than 600 calories. It makes creating consciousness achievable for me, and works well, but every mind is different.

Rachel:

Dubz:

05 Sep 2014 12:53:18pm

I'm a smart and intelligent woman and I learned a long time ago that binge eating was actually about the food.

I too am a binge eater. I have been for as long as I can remember. I used to steal and hide food when I was a kid, not biscuits and lollies but weird things like jelly crystals and a mixture of flour and sugar which I ate with a spoon in secret. I was then, as I am now, medicating with food, eating as a consolation, as reward, for inspiration, for encouragement, for reassurance. I know why I am a binge eater, but knowing why hasn't helped me change my circumstances. I am loved and supported by friends and family but I have used this maladaptive coping mechanism to manage all kinds of things my whole life. I don't know how to stop.

I spend every day battling the food demons. I exercise a degree of control by planning and preparing my meals meticulously only to loose it if I venture out of my comfort zone. Shopping for groceries is challenging even with a list and good intentions. I avoid certain isles in the supermarket and most of the time I exit the checkout having succeeded in my quest, but it's bloody hard. I also avoid social gatherings that involve food, I hate eating out, even with my partner, because I have no means of control over the environment. And of course there are the stereotypes, fat = lazy, smelly and stupid. I have felt humiliated and abused a number of times in public and wonder why so many people feel the need to scrutinise and offer helpful suggestions for an issue they know nothing about.

Do I exercise? I exercise 5 to 6 times a week and I don't just play at it, I work bloody hard, just ask the personal personal trainer I pay a kings ransom to every week to encourage, push and cajole me. Yet I am morbidly obese.

I've had bariatric surgery, tried hypnosis, Jenny Craig, Gloria Marshall, OptiFast, prescription medication, homeopathy, overeaters anonymous (OA), weight watchers and of course willpower. All have worked initially, apart from OA ( don't get me started) yet as someone has already pointed out one has to eat to live.

I am resigned to the fact that I may never find a way to live without this feeling out of being out of control. So please don't offer me platitudes and suggestions for improvement because I feel as though I have tried everything. As some of you who think you have all the answers seem to have missed, binge eating is a horrendous vicious cycle.

AJB:

04 Sep 2014 2:07:31pm

Have to disagree with you there. I run 4 times a week and gym 3 times a week. I'm slim and don't have an ounce of fat. But I also am very much proned to binge eating and drinking. The difference is I'm burning about 6000-7000 calories in exercise every week, so I can accommodate it.

Jamie:

Dom:

04 Sep 2014 7:06:29pm

Discipline? You really don't understand the issue. There is no magical discipline inherent in the human condition. It depends on a hormonal and neuropharmacological context that is different for each of us. Essentially you are saying that those with BED don't want to be fit. I'm sure most of them do; in fact i've not met one who doesn't. If, however, you were deprived of the personal chemistry that controls your motivations, it wouldn't mean you didn't want to stay fit, simply that you couldn't.

KymBo:

Shelly:

04 Sep 2014 12:19:57pm

I have been overweight almost my entire adult life. I am now 45. A couple of years I thought I was going to have a heart attack as I attempted to do a little sightseeing. Walking was becoming too much for me. I too had attempted various diets over the years. Never had surgery. I made a decision that I could control my weight as I have control over what I buy, what I cook, what I eat. I didn't "go on a diet" for the very reason you say. "Diets" end. However your diet doesn't. Everything you eat forms part of your diet. View everything you eat, everything you choose to put into your mouth as a decision to take control or cede control. Get therapy to deal with your emotional issues if you have them. But don't kid yourself that you don't have control. I've lost over 40 kilos and kept it off for 2 years so far. I've a bit more to go. I would encourage you to take control Sam.

Butterscotch:

04 Sep 2014 1:50:20pm

While I'm very happy for you Shelly I believe the point is that Sam's experiences are not within the "average" and should not be treated as such, anymore than it can be said of people with bipolar illness or schizophrenia that a change of attitude will cure their illness.

Lots of people would love to simply change their behaviours. For some the reasons why the choice is not theirs to make is complex. Maybe one happy day soon it will be Sam's choice, but the point of this article is to illustrate that right now it isn't choice, but an illness. Would you apply the same reasoning to an anorexic - that they simply need to take control, or rather do you accept that anorexia is an illness? It is very strange to me that we accept one but not the other.

Shelly:

05 Sep 2014 7:47:44am

Butterscotch - I did suggest he probably needs therapy to deal with the emotional issues. I should have said psychological issues. If anyone believes they can't control what they're doing then they really need help for that. I would suspect those control issues creep into other areas of their life as well.

I do have sympathy for his issue. But eventually it will all come down to how badly he wants to change. If he really doesn't want to, he won't.

Butterscotch:

Thanks, Sam for this important and brave contribution. I become very frustrated in forums such as these when people insist that obesity is simply a matter of sufferers wilfully overeating.

While I don't suffer from an eating disorder I do have some firsthand experience of psychological or emotional hunger manifesting physically. When I was writing a book, I would literally have just finished lunch (or not finished it if I'd had enough) but the moment I turned to the computer to start writing I experienced such ferocious hunger that I felt I would die if I didn't eat right then. The hunger was not to be ignored. Conversely when I finished writing the book and was emotionally sate, I had no appetite at all. One day I found myself with a great smacking headache and when I asked myself why I realised I hadn't eaten for a couple of days.

Hunger is not easily ignored, and it isn't supposed to be. Our body makes it so for obvious reasons: we need food to survive. Those who judge the obese as simply eating far more than they need through self-indulgence should take note of their own feelings next time they are hungry. The issue is not necessarily one of self-indulgence, but that some of us experience more hunger than we need for complex reasons.

And I'd rather sit next to you on a plane than a person who would judge you harshly or be unkind any day of the week.

heidir:

04 Sep 2014 12:39:16pm

Sam, I hope you can get some control over this problem. So many people have some mental health issue that they are too afraid or embarrassed to admit to and deal with. In the meantime, it can ruin their health, relationships and sometimes their life.

This would have to be more difficult, in some ways, than an addiction to gambling or alcohol, because you can't go "cold turkey" and just give up eating. I hope you can get the help and support you need. Good luck and keep us posted!

Wildfire2013:

04 Sep 2014 4:51:40pm

Heidir, I must say that was very eloquently put and you are right you can't just go cold turkey with this stuff. I've had times when I was too overweight and I still carry a bit too much. Occasionally I binge as well but I also suffer from 3 mental illnesses so it comes with the territory.

DeepFritz:

04 Sep 2014 12:42:20pm

What about your daily exercise? I probably consume close to your level of calories, I just burn them by walking places, cycling to work or going out for a run or a gym session. I know that if I were inactive, I'd be very heavy...

DeepFritz:

thank-me-later:

04 Sep 2014 4:49:02pm

For severely overweight people, you're actually encouraged to exercise or else you risk complications like deep vein thrombosis, brittle bones and joints that collapse. No one is asking a 400 pound person to run a marathon, just a little bit of movement a day is the way to get started. Exercise isn't the evil element here.

RobW:

04 Sep 2014 12:42:25pm

Thanks for sharing your personal story. I too am extremely overweight. I work seven days a week doing physically demanding work and go to the gym four days a week. I do far more physical activity than most people, but have trouble controlling what I eat. It's easy for others to say just eat less, but it's easier said then done for some of us. The sad fact is it will be a life long struggle for me that will only end when I'm dead. Thankfully for now I'm healthy (based on my last checkup and blood tests) but it's only a matter of time before that changes. I've tried getting help off psychologists, but they always seem more interested in other tissues. Maybe as awareness increase, as it has with other mental disorders, things will change.

whogoesthere:

04 Sep 2014 1:21:33pm

I admit I find this issue hard to understand, probably because i have never had any problem with my weight. I did smoke for a long time, so understand how changing behaviours and 'giving up' things can be hard.

So my question is why do you do it ?. I don't mean this in a cruel way. I smoked because 1) I was addicted to nicotine 2) I enjoyed the taste of it 3) it made me feel calmer 4) as a fairly light smoker I kidded myself that it wasn't that bad for me. What 'pleasure' or 'benefit' to you get ?.

To be honest the cost got me to kick it more than anything. But now I have given up I don't miss it, which brings me to my next question. Why do you believe it will be a life long struggle ?. That's depressing stuff, can you not believe that with time and help and long term life style changes, there will come a point where this problem will be gone, just as it can be for many other addictions ?.

RobW:

04 Sep 2014 2:57:52pm

I often eat for pleasure and to relax, especially after work where I don't get the opportunity to eat for quite a while. Which, in my case, exacerbates my preexisting binging behaviour. One problem with food is the temptation is always there, in one form or another. You can't really go cold turkey and acclimatise to not having it.

Although I've been overweight all my adult life, all the exercise and work I did/do used to stem the tide, but now I'm older it's not the case. Actually, I'd be interested to know if there are any studies on binge eating and exercise (instead of eating/purging).

Re quitting smoking, I saw how difficult it was for my mum to quite so congrats for quitting. Interestingly she quit for the same reason (she simply couldn't afford it).

Bahbet:

04 Sep 2014 1:02:46pm

From all sides in the media we hear about this issue, as the impending avalanche of health consequences from an overweight generation draws near. Thank-you for writing up the subjective and personal experience, and I am sure I am not alone in being shocked by the number of men who are actually affected.Statistics often given list adults as a group without breaking them down into age and gender. The epidemic of overweight children is of even more concern to the health sector even necessitating joint replacements in very young children whose developing joints fail under their body weight.The psychological story is interesting as there surely must be more to the situation than the ready availability of addictive snack foods and the ever-diminishing amount of exercise someone who is putting on weight will be inclined to take. If as you say food addiction resembles that of alcohol dependence ,then the proven twelve step programmes should be part of the picture. Peer support and the whole nine yards on a lifelong basis sadly. Personally I find the junk food and soda fizz industries reprehensible. With similar tactics to Big Alcohol they target the population with shotgun doses of salt wheat fat and sugar in myriad combinations, hoping to snare those who for genetic or environmental reasons will not resist . As you write, the results are life ruining.Eating is and should be a family affair . It takes a strong and committed family to insist that those aisles in the supermarket , two whole aisles if I remember right , and occupying about 20% of floorspace, are off limits. So at the end of the day the food served on the table is grown on a tree or comes out of the ground or is cleanly produced meat dairy or eggs. Spices and condiments, yes for flavour and colour , but without adulteration, make it yourself so you know what is in there.

Waterloo Sunset 2016:

keyboard warrior:

04 Sep 2014 1:07:09pm

Hmmm, I wonder if Mr. Palmer might read this story, he very much looks like a man who enjoys his tucker a whole lot & could be doing a whole lot more to look after himself better - especially given his high profile within the public arena. Don't forget Gina either.

mike j:

zalan:

04 Sep 2014 1:08:03pm

I suppose with alcohol, it is much easier to identify the 'substance' that one is seeking in their desire for binging. It may come in many formulations, but each contains alcohol. Whereas in binging, I wonder is there any common denominator here, or only something we can chew or drink or swallow? It maybe that bingers will seek out packets of processed foods, as shown in the accompanying image, but are just as likely to tuck into something, because it is there, or can be eaten? I have observed people modifying their relationship to eating, often with little or no consideration to a selection process, even when they have the knowledge about what constitutes good quality natural foods. I have observed people moving towards eating only rawfoods, and noticed that binging can easily occur here as well. The difference being that larger quantities of rawfood low calorie produce, can be eaten without the serious weight gain implications of cooked and processed foods. Of course if this is viewed as a 'rawfood diet' then it may be just as ineffectual as any other 'diet', because diets we define as having an end. However, a continued rawfood dietary, as opposed to a 'rawfood diet', may perhaps be useful to some people in overcoming this pernicious situation which is preventing them from maintaining a desired relationship to food choices and alimentation.

Ann:

05 Sep 2014 2:38:35pm

I think binging *can* happen with any food but its more likely to be sweets and processed food if that is available.

My father stress eats, and has solved the problem by only having nuts, meat jerky, fish canned in water and other more nutritionally sound options available. He still stress eats - it just doesn't impact his weight anymore. So, the problem hasn't really been solved. But I guess at a certain age its more about problem management than solutions.

(It also helps that he seems to have no taste buds and will eat almost anything - literally.)

Dove:

Bahbet:

04 Sep 2014 1:47:32pm

Well said Dove. These relief filled disclosure sessions are a comforting reminder that we are all human. And so be it BED or Heart attack or Cancer or any number of other risk factors, the ridiculousness of mortality overshadows it all .And the body ,though dearly beloved, has a betrayal in store for us at the end.So, like your well wishes, all we have to hold on to are good times and good company, a good laugh or a good story, and the quirky buggers that we love anyway.

John:

04 Sep 2014 1:33:52pm

In addition to my above post regarding the permanent solution:

That's the "physical" solution. Nothing else will get you slim and keep you slim for life.

But it's not the "emotional" solution. The reason that BED exists is because of what goes on in the brain. The "emotional" and "intellectual" side has to be fixed first, before any "physical" solution is put in place.

So tired of it all:

04 Sep 2014 1:40:58pm

Thank you so much for speaking out.

I've struggled with food, weight, and binge eating for over 50 years. I could write a book about diets and therapies.

The only reason I didn't have surgery is that a cousin who had surgery had major problems with complications -- it was just too scary. Then, too, I heard a woman who'd had the surgery, lost weight, and then gained it back, say, "I can't eat much fruit and veg, but I can eat Mars bars, and chocolate mousse, and ice cream..."

Long ago I got to the point where I didn't want to talk about it anymore. There are some who are sympathetic and some who treat you with contempt. Everyone's got an easy answer, except for those of us who actually have the problem. It's just as easy for me to stop binge eating as it is for an alcoholic to stop binge drinking.

What's the answer? I don't have one. I just keep working on it, trying to change habits and attitudes, hoping that one day something will "click".

You haven't said it in the article, but this is a disease that can kill. Obesity, yo-yo weight loss, diabetes -- it's all there waiting for binge eaters.

And I agree with you completely -- anyone who suffers with this disease needs someone they can talk to who will actually be helpful, or at least compassionate. If you can't talk to your GP, find some you can talk to (maybe even a different GP).

AJB:

04 Sep 2014 2:04:52pm

Eating addiction can be a difficult thing to manage. But as a slim man, I can say it doesn't just afflict the overweight. I have terrible bouts of binge eating and drinking, but it's masked because I'm also an avid runner and fitness fanatic. Doesn't mean I don't gorge at least once a week though on all sorts of nasties! I'd like to say there's a deep psychological factor (or factors) underlying this, but I think it's as simple as the enjoyment and pleasure of eating and drinking.

Dave Y:

Rachel George:

04 Sep 2014 2:27:34pm

Huge props to you, Sam, for speaking up. I've had BED for a long, long time and it plagues me every day. Some days are worse than others, and I've started to learn what triggers me, but I've got a long way to go. What is so often missing from this whole debate is love - for ourselves, definitely, but also from society. Every time the diet or die rhetoric is reinforced larger people feel alienated, disgusting and despairing, both of ever being free of our disorders but also of ever being accepted for who we are - and what we look like. We need more people to share their stories and refuse to be shamed into silence.

DarylS:

04 Sep 2014 3:09:06pm

Reading the article and comments has cheered me up. I've tried most things but ended up gaining about a kilo a year for thirty years. My problem is portion size, in that I'm always hungry so eat more than I should. A silver lining is that in combating this I've developed the habit of eating the right foods and exercising, so that even though I am obese I'm actually healthier than many of the scornful thin people around me.

GrumpiSkeptic:

04 Sep 2014 4:36:22pm

Dieting gurus and pushers want us to believe that their miracle recipes and training regimes will help you to give the extra kilograms the flick. Invariably, there will be a "before" and "after" photo. Women will claim that they can now slip into some slinky bikinis, and romping about the beach without having to wear a tent. Men would proudly told the story of instant confidence gains. Muscles popping up everywhere in places unknown to him. All these in a few short weeks!

My own "FAT Checker" advised me that most fast diets do not last. It cease to work as soon as the "victims" find the dieting regimes become too hard. Cabbage diet. Orange diet. Soup diet. Low carbohydrate diet. Even the CSIRO got into the act with the Atkins Diet which consists of mostly meat. I bet that does no good to your heart and arteries !

I am quite lucky that I still maintain about the same weight when I was 20. However, it is not a dream run all the time, no thanks to our lifestyles, work patterns, and of course, the abundant of easily available food.

I do have a secrete weapon, and it is sport, especially wind surfing.

Here in WA, winters are relatively cool, but the steady winds for enjoyable wind surfing are absent for about six months. I put on about six or more Kilograms during the winter months. No big deal in the big scheme of things. Just wear a loose jumper to cover the extra spare tyre. That will take care of the visual aspect of things, for sure.

All the beaut idea about hiding my extra folds came undone when spring comes, and hence the wind surfing season begins. When I jumped on my sail board, the board began to sink under the extra six or so Kilograms. It proved that the Archimedes Principles hold true!

To get me going, I needed an extra few knots of wind to propel me along. My wind surfing mates would suggest unkindly a bigger board is in order. Fortunately, within a month or so of rigorous sailing sessions, the extra kilograms will be burned away, and my sail board actually floats !

Now I no longer want to bear that extra six or so kilograms during the winter. I eat more green vegetables and relatively unprocessed diets. A strict regime of two-hour walks with my dog regardless of weather conditions.

I jumped on my bathroom scale yesterday, yes, it will be fine for the spring season's sailing.

thank-me-later:

04 Sep 2014 4:43:24pm

If you want to stop binge eating, here's a tip from another binge eater. Many of us think that the change has to start from within, but actually it all starts at the supermarket and in the outside world.

Do not put anything in your shopping trolley that you are likely to binge on. Do not stock your cupboard with snacks, convenience foods or anything other than the essentials. After all you can't overeat on things that aren't there...

Control your portions and avoid anything that might trigger you, eg watching TV, smoking or long periods of rest. And when you're out in the world, do not under any circumstances set foot in a fast food resturant or convenience store. Those places should be like enemy territory in your mind, so don't set up excuses like "Oh I forgot my lunch today" - bring your lunch in every day.

Finally, make sure you excercise. If you're heavy, start with a little and gradually work your way up to being fully active. I was pretty sedentary until a few months ago when I implemented these ideas, and now I go to the gym 3-4 times a week and swim about 10km per week in total. I still eat a lot because my body is craving carbs after a big workout, but I've learnt to regulate that and I'm now dropping the kilos.

Guys and girls, it might look very difficult and seemingly impossible, but all it takes is a first small step to get the ball rolling. It all comes down to you to make the change, not your GP or your fitness instructor, or your friends & family. It's all on your shoulders to make the improvements.

adonais:

04 Sep 2014 4:59:42pm

Another poster said this in another thread, but it bears repeating here:

The population of Australia (indeed most of the Western world) seems to be engaged in some sort of "Victimhood Olympics". Every problem is now described as an uncontrollable disorder, or a disease, affliction, or some other term used to make one feel like a passive, helpless, hapless victim.

Whatever happened to common sense, personal responsibility, a bit of perseverance, and the quiet achiever mentality?

Perhaps we should start an Ice Bucket Challenge for victims of Binge Eating Disorder.

Sorry, but slapping the "Disorder" label on silly behaviour doesn't suddenly make it any more worthy of sympathy.

TP:

04 Sep 2014 7:34:22pm

Think of it this way. There are people who like to drink but generally it doesn't worry them too much. Then there are those who are chronic alcoholics who feel enslaved to alcohol, knowing its killing them but can't stop. They are the ones who hide bottles all over the house and sneak drinks on the sly. Alcohol is their friend and their reason for living. They feel without it life has no meaning.Their families worry about them but can't help them. This is what an eating disorder is like. It is an addiction that consumes your life and puts you on a path to distruction that you feel powerless to stop. And its time society realised the gravity of the problem so we can find some real answers and stop condemning the victims.

Dove:

04 Sep 2014 10:54:27pm

Hey there, Empathy, the term 'disorder' has a clinical meaning, easily accessible from the same computer your used to type your post of hope and support. Making negative statements behind the veil of anonymity about other people's lives just to feel contrary and superior is very tiring for those who are here to learn and share

foolking:

There is an answer to this problem and it begins with enjoying what you eat and learning about food.

To diet is to set a memory in your body so as that the next time there is extra food you store it, don't diet.

Read the ingredients of what you are eating and count how many of them are actually food compared to some kind of stabiliser, colour or number that is more about presentation than digestion.

Have you ever met a fat vegetarian? Being vegetarian forces the eater to look at variety and combinations that make food taste good (not MSG). Beans,legumes, mushrooms play an important role.

The one issue that will take perhaps the rest of your life to battle is soft drinks and alcohol, because of the unnaturally high sugar content.

From a political perspective a govt. has to be strong enough to take on the powerfull multinationals that push the horribly unhealthy food, the super sweet drinks and their "diet" sugar alternatives have to disappear off the shelves of food outlets.

The misery they create is not worth it. Fat and sugar (in equal proportions)are the cheapest, easiest most addictive, most profitable substances to produce and sell. Everyone knows it, only govt can influence the outcome.

jaden62:

05 Sep 2014 2:34:25pm

Well, I've met a couple of overweight vegans. Does that count? And one of them was saying the same thing as Sam is. She is a binge eater. Her binge eating is "clean" but it's still overeating, and it's still causing a problem for her.

SuzieB:

For me, it is not about hunger. I am very seldom hungry, even if I have to fast for two days (for medical tests) every now and then. It is because I ENJOY eating - not at all the same thing.

Fortunately, I enjoy raw vegetables of all sorts (Raw potato - yum!) and I HATE chocolate. I seldom eat food I haven't cooked from scratch - no eating out, or takeaways or fast foods. Oh yes, and little sugar as I don't like it.

The more I exercise, the more I enjoy my food. Sanctimonious prigs who comment on what I am buying at the checkout should shut up - I have a family to feed too and that is none of your business.

Life is a constant, day in, day out, struggle not to put on weight. Actually reducing it seems impossible. Good on you Sam, for going public.

dr dig:

04 Sep 2014 5:17:24pm

Like others, I am also curious how having a medical diagnosis helps to solve the issue. It is a behavioural problem and you need to work on changing behaviour.

These are lifestyle choices at the end of the day, and I fail to see how externalizing the problem helps solve the issue. I am a smoker. I know it is not good for me, but I do not try to externalize the issue. If I want to change my behaviour it takes a lot of hard work and no amount of externalising the cause of my addiction will help me to change my behaviour. What is different with eating disorders?

Orion:

05 Sep 2014 12:35:17pm

It's not a psychiatric illness. Just because it's recently been added to the official classification lists of "disorders" doesn't make it an illness. According to those all sorts of things are "disorders". So-called eating disorders are really dieting disorders driven by a desire to control body shape and an underlying (greater than average) distorted body image. Binge eating is driven by other factors not these. Overeating is certainly a problem and so is obesity. The two are related but not the same thing. Both are determined by multiple factors, primarily physical. Read about the physiology of digestion and weight control for an insight - it's not as simple as calories consumed exceeds calories burnt.

Christine:

Algebee:

04 Sep 2014 7:09:35pm

I found your article very interesting. I've gained and lost enough weight in my lifetime to make an elephant, but along the way I've found some techniques that actually seem to help break this vicious cycle. First, you need to be more aware of your eating. You can do that by keeping a detailed record of everything you put in your mouth everyday, together with the circumstances (e.g., watching TV, working on the computer). Have someone whose respect you need read it. Binge eating becomes a chore. Second, you set a reasonable goal based on steady weight loss and monitor your progress carefully. Each milestone achieved gives you more impetus to continue down that path. Fast weight loss is ALWAYS followed by faster weight gain. Third, avoid painful, high-impact exercise routines and opt instead for walking. I walk 8-10km every morning before breakfast listening to audio books on my mobile via a bluetooth headset. I believe that Stephen Fry used the same method with some success.

Although these three techniques have worked well for me over the past few years (25kg lost), I seem to have started too late, with the result that I face a triple-bypass operation in the near future. Binge eating is a toxic mix of cholesterol and stress.

Lara Briden:

PJ:

04 Sep 2014 7:49:16pm

Seriously did half of you read the article. Advice about watching what you eat, exercise, movement is the key, don't have the wrong foods in the house, its all behavioural. So according to that all a drug addict has to do is stop keeping drugs in the house and just get over their bad behaviour, ditto an alcoholic and smoker.

What a load of crap.

A disorder was whats being discussed and you can say that's a load of rubbish or believe the author but either way answer me this. If its really so simple to be thin and healthy, or simply not to be fat or obese why don't obese people just do it. Are they lazy? Are they just weak minded? Really? Think about it why would obese people readily do that themselves? Why would they risk their health, make every day a trial to walk up stairs or catch a bus or plane and fit into the seat? To find clothes?

More than that why would they subject themselves to the stares or the ridicule, the well meaning jokes or as some dill on here said the well meaning challenges to their obesity? Given a choice do you really think people just go well I'm going to get fatter or stay this fat or eat my way to death? Would you?

I struggle with my weight and I know its hurting me, my knees and ankles hurt every day, the soles of my feet are a wreck, I haven't had a decent night's sleep in 20+ years and I crave sugar like a madman. I find it hard to get clothes that don't look stupid. I smile when people pat my tummy and say when's this coming off, I deal with being an obese person every day. And I take responsibility for it, its my fault I'm this way. I have tried most diets and ways of losing weight, even succeeded a couple of times but have yo-yo'ed on more than ever.

This article spoke to me in that I have felt frustrated at times when I'm eating junk and a lot of it and I'm not hungry and I don't understand why or when I set myself a day to start a better way of eating and I binge beforehand and then they day comes and goes and I slip off the wagon, that's been going on for almost 6 or more years, the latest was the start of spring. At least now I know whether I have BED or not that maybe I need to sort out things in my head before I can properly address the weight I need to lose.

So next time you give a fat person that derisory look or challenge them why not just take a second to think and maybe help them in a positive way. Its so easy to kick someone when they are done esp anonymously over the internet, so much harder to give them a hand up.

Dominic:

04 Sep 2014 8:47:29pm

Hi Sam, I know where you are coming from. I am currently conducting research using myself as the 'lab rat' to evaluate a new approach to eating. My research should be concluded in the next 12 months where I hope to write a book. The difference between diets and what I am doing is that this method is ongoing and you can taper off to meet your weight goals. Once you have reached your desired weight you should (still undergoing evaluation)be able to maintain your new weight indefinitely.

Wurzel:

04 Sep 2014 9:25:03pm

As a student psychologist, can I throw my two cents in here.

I just did a report on BED and while it's not a groundbreaking paper or anything, I think many folks trivialise binge eating because eating is something that everyone does, whereas gambling, smoking and drinking alcohol is something that isnt required to survive.

The points in my research were essentially that BED has a genetic predisposition. Further, when consumed in a cycle of starve and binge, high sugar and high fat foods make demonstrable changes in the neurochemical reward pathways of the brain mainly via dopamine (D2) receptors.

When the person decides to diet, the brain has a very hard time trying to get the dopamine levels back in order. You should take a look at the effects of lab rats coming off a corn starch diet. They get very similar effect to coming off heroin.

Now obviously, this is a basic summary of some of the findings out there, but to simply tell a person who has BED to 'stop eating bad food, fatty', or that giving up sweet food is easy is really not very helpful.

This is not to say that every obese person has BED, and far from it, but those that DO have BED shouldn't just be written off as having no willpower or being to slack to change.

Lisa:

Ann:

Thank you. It's so frustrating to see people who say the answer is just "food knowledge and self-control" when obviously while those are required they are NOT the entire answer.

And no, not all fat people have BED. I'm fat and I don't have it.

What infuriates me is that the judgement people place on others for their food problems is entirely determined by whether that food problem makes them thinner (attractive) or fatter (unattractive).

My husband has a seriously crippling food issue, but it doesn't make him very fat, and at one point in his life he was dangerously thin. As a result, people just make fun of his eating disorder in a light-hearted way (which still upsets him) and fewer people just tell him "how to eat normally" (as though he is somehow unaware).

And as we saw in the anorexia article last week, there are some men and women who congratulate anorexics for their "self-control" when it comes to eating.

SuzieB:

04 Sep 2014 10:19:06pm

Hmm, I see that I haven't been clear here. Losing weight is not actually the solution. I crave food as much when I am thin as when I am fat. Yes, I can get weight down by huge effort and a lot of assistance - but it completely scrambles my brain. To get down to a 'healthy weight' requires all my time, all day, every day, and I cannot work while this is going on. And I need help as I can't cook family meals while it is going on.

Take my mind off the weight control lifestyle and the weight whacks on again. But my brain kicks in and I can do the work which I enjoy so much.

For what it is worth, my mother always claimed it was starvation rations as a kid, but it didn't affect my siblings so that is probably a copout. I've yo-yoed my entire life until I had to endure some rather drastic and wide-ranging surgery. Life is not going to be forever, so I just try to stop the dreaded ballooning and hold at what I can do while still keeping a working brain. Not really an option for you Sam, but I make my own clothes and go for outrageous. If I have to be old and fat, then why obey the fashion mafia!

Helen:

04 Sep 2014 10:22:33pm

I can sympathise too Sam (we're all coming out of the closet, with biscuit wrappers in our wake). Thankfully I seem to have grown out of my binge eating days now but on the odd days I still get that uncontrollable urge. I too avoid sugar now, from what I've read it all makes sense that the chemicals trip your brain into wanting more. So maybe it's not our fault after all. I also found really helpful reading Geneen Roth's books about breaking free from compulsive eating, they're probably a few years old now but they were great. As soon as you give yourself permission to eat, to really eat and enjoy it, the tendency to binge diminishes. Anyway, good luck, keep positive, you're not alone.

Observational:

04 Sep 2014 11:11:29pm

It?s been really interesting to read all of the comments. They all focus on food or exercise. As someone who has had occasional problems with food, and has had relatives and friends with problems also, may I suggest that trying new food or exercise regimes is not the answer.Obsessive compulsive disorders or issues, which most eating problems fall under, occur because there is a problem somewhere in your life that you are trying to respond to. That problem won?t be food- that?s just the symptom or expression. I would suggest going to counselling to talk about things. At first you?ll talk about the food stuff, but it?s funny how later on, down the track, you slowly realise that it?s just a physical response to something else. It?s that something else you have to work at- not the food. If you can find a way to address the something else, the food issues will sort themselves out to a large extent. They are a mask for the ?something else?. The trick, and it can take a while, is finding out what the mask is hiding. But really worth it, I promise.

Positive Outlook:

04 Sep 2014 11:13:49pm

I can sympathise with the author - BED is something that needs to be recognised for what it is, which is a mental disorder.

I also think that the key to curing it is to limit the availability of food to the sufferer, or at least of the types of food which cause obesity. The sufferer needs to be put in a position where the available food is not in a ready to eat form (i.e. needs preparing and/or cooking), and is basically boring. Just like it was 50 years ago when obesity was something you hardly ever saw. What makes it so hard nowadays is things like food advertising, and TV cooking shows which glamorize food well beyond what it actually is, simply a fuel.

albie:

05 Sep 2014 12:42:28am

Who cares what people think - however its good to shed weight for your health. Thing that helped me was cutting empty carbs and upping protein, fruit and veg - before I was always hungry - on high protein hunger was controlled. Sure I get sugar in fruit but it is a high fibre complex version of carb intake

Singki:

05 Sep 2014 9:06:28am

I had always been very slender, even after having 2 children. Back to my dress size 2 weeks after birth each time. But in my mid-20's I had an emergency hysterectomy and within months my weight had ballooned. Terrible shock to the system. I'd never had to diet and this was terrifying. But my brain is my worst enemy. The minute I decide to 'be careful' about what I eat I find myself craving all sorts of things that I would never buy and rarely eat. My brain is "out to get me". As soon as I decide that it's not worth the agony, my brain seems to switch off and I don't want that Tim Tam, chocolate, danish pastry or hot chips any more. I've had to come to terms with my weight and size now and not do myself any more mental damage by worrying myself sick about it. I don't like myself this size, but it's better than the mental agony and continual fights with my crazy brain.

STB:

One of the key problem areas with obesity is the "political correctness" society we live in in that we can't criticize fat people or call people fat, for fear of being offended etc etc.

Even my GP said he has to take extreme care on how to broach the subject with patients for fear of offending them.

Some people who would have been considered obese in the 1950s to 60s today claim they are normal ????? ( look at some documentaries from the 1950s showing general crowds and see how people looked then).

So how about we also change the culture of calling a spade a spade and tell people like how it is - so they CAN start to change their lives to fit with reality.

saline:

There are a huge number of victims whose metabolic rate copes beautifully with the volume of food they eat and they show no signs at all. They are 'good'. No sign of mental illness there.

On the other hand, a person who spent around $9,000 to have a gastric sleeve surgery, lives on strictly controlled diet food and reduced their weight to 85 kilos where it stays. This person wants to travel overseas with family and can't face the problem of sitting in an economy seat on a plane.

Excess weight is huge problem to the person who has it. They are judged by every fool in the community as 'bad'. Hence their willingness to have surgery to be 'good'.

Maybe the general community is 'bad'.

The community has to front up and own their own mental disorder/illness.

5hadowman:

05 Sep 2014 12:19:24pm

The real issue here is commercialisation. As products are marketed to consumers, the effect will increase as the cost of advertising decreases. But people need to work and taxes need to be paid to run the country, if they get paid more they will spend more and eat more or pay higher taxes? Some people will be forced to diet. Maybe people will not be able to afford sugar if there was a tax imposed on that similar to nicotine?

recoveryrocks:

05 Sep 2014 12:45:55pm

Thank you Sam, I am inspired by you sharing your story with the world. I identify as living with BED but am grateful to share that I found recovery from this disease in a 12 step fellowship. Overeaters Anonymous (OA) saved my life. It's worth a look if you are struggling with compulsive and obsessive eating. It controlled my life until I got help from others living with the same problem. x

recoveryrocks:

Lonald:

05 Sep 2014 4:31:33pm

My compulsive overeating also eventually took me to Overeaters Anonymous. At my first meeting I thought, I know this works, I know people who got sober in AA using the same 12 Steps and I remember thinking "even if I have to sit here stuffing my face, I will keep coming back no matter what". 25 years later I am still in OA. It was the best thing I ever did form myself. The difference between how I felt and thought about myself and my eating before OA and now is so different. Now I like who I am, I have patience with my imperfect self, I am able to accept the support and acceptance of others that I didnt think I was worth having and my eating is within manageable guidelines that I can achieve on a daily basis, not always perfectly but so much more sanely than I ever expected I could. I would suggest to anyone with any type of eating disorder to go to 6 meetings with an open mind. It isnt for everyone but I am eternally grateful that it is for me.

Latest Episode

Hot Topic

The Prime Minister has announced Australia will be expanding its military role in Iraq for up to two years. Tony Abbott has signed off on sending 300 Australian soldiers for a joint mission with New Zealand.

It's a fundamental human yearning to be a part of something bigger than one's self, and maybe that's what drove my mate Ash to die, far from home, in a bloody foreign war against Islamic State, writes C August Elliott.